Politicians have failed Malawi says Petra president

People’s Transformation Party (PETRA) presidential candidate Kamuzu Chibambo has said politicians in Malawi owe the people a lot arguing they have failed to lift them from abject poverty for the past 50 years.

He said the situation in the country has reached a deplorable status whereby most of the leadership has failed to lift it from the economic doldrums.

Chibambo said it is from this fact that his party’s vision is to propagate a robust legal framework on policies on natural resources that will improve the economy to the benefit of all Malawians.

Chibambo briefing journalist at the rally

Cross section of party supporters who attended the rally.

Chibambo outlining the party’s manifesto

A prayer marking the end of the rally

The Petra president was speaking in Zomba-Nsondole Constituency on Saturday when the party launched its manifesto and campaign at Bimbi Primary School, in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kuntumanji’s area.

“I share the blame and responsibility despite not being in government ever since. But the fact remains that we have failed Malawians and we owe them a lot. This is the opportune time when leadership has to fight tooth and nail to transform the livelihood of the ordinary people,” Chibambo said.

He added that for the past 50 years of independence, the leadership has been focusing much on what the country do not have as opposed to the abundance of natural resources available in the country.

Adds Chibambo: “We have fresh water bodies, mineral resources, fertile soil as well as good weather and climate which most of the resources have been going out of the country at the expense of the poor Malawian.

“And as Petra, we have spoken a lot on Kayerekera Uranium Mine but people thought we wanted to gain a political mileage over it. But a few months down the line we hear that management of Paladin at the site have finally suspended some of its operations and a number of our brothers and sisters have lost their jobs in the process,” he said.

He said once voted into power, his government will enhance local processing of goods and review the legal framework policy on mining resources in the country to the benefit of all Malawians.

Chibambo said his government will make sure to establish legal framework that would help prevent foreign investors from exploiting natural resources.

“I have been in legal field for 34 years so once voted into power I will set deliberate policies aimed to restrict foreign investors from exploiting our resources. For example Malawi has never benefited from Kayerekera Uranium mining because of weak statutes governing the environmental sector,” he said.

On employment problems facing the youths in the country, Chibambo said his government will introduce what he termed ‘mobile technical schools’ that will provide hands on skill to youth in various fields, in the villages.

“For example here Bimbi we will bring a fully equipment technical team which will spend six months training youths in various skills, like carpentry, welding , brick layering, plumbing and many more”

He however said the graduating students will be given loans in terms of money and equipment as a starter pack to their businesses.

Chibambo also said that his government will not tolerate laziness among civil servants as is the status quo.